The highest-grossing animated movies of all time
After a pretty dismal start to the summer of 2024 at the box office, Pixar has saved us all. Inside Out 2 has now rocketed to top spot in the list of the highest-grossing animated movies ever made, with the movie now about to crack the $1.5bn mark (£1.14bn) worldwide. By the end of its run, it's very likely to make the all-time top 10.
But let's take this opportunity to salute some of the other biggies in the animated world. Disney and Pixar, of course, feature heavily among the highest-grossing animated movies, but there's also a strong presence for the minions and a famous video game plumber.
So, without further ado, let's crunch some numbers and pick our way through the best of the best in the animated movie world — the 11 animations to make more than a billion dollars worldwide.
1. Inside Out 2 ($1.46bn/£1.14bn)
Inside Out was an undeniable box office success, but it's fair to say that its sequel has well and truly knocked it out of the park. Pixar's ambitious sequel is the highest-grossing film of 2024 to date and has well and truly reversed the recent decline of Pixar's animated movies at the box office. Memories of Lightyear can be well and truly banished.
Read more: Inside Out 2's treatment of anxiety made me feel seen (Digital Spy)
The movie introduces an array of new emotions to Riley's mind — most notably Anxiety, voiced by Maya Hawke — and grapples with the difficulties and complexities of adolescence. And its box office crown might soon be threatened because Amy Poehler wants to make Inside Out 3. We'll prepare ourselves to update this list.
2. Frozen II ($1.45bn/£1.13bn)
Frozen became a cultural phenomenon in 2013 — we'll discuss it a little more later — but it was thoroughly eclipsed at the box office by its 2019 sequel. The cast of characters from the first film returned for a new quest, following Elsa as she searched for the origin of her ice-based powers in order to save Arendelle once again.
Read more: Frozen 3 gets exciting update from Disney's Jennifer Lee (Digital Spy)
This sequel could easily have been a damp squib but returning directors Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee deserve immense credit for finding a story to match the original. Complete with a new selection of excellent songs — Jonathan Groff's soft-rock ballad Into the Woods is an underrated standout — this proved yet another snowy slam-dunk.
3. The Super Mario Bros. Movie ($1.36bn/£1.06bn)
Video game movies are on the up now after decades of the entire genre being labelled as cursed. One of the key examples of that curse was the disastrous 1993 live-action movie Super Mario Bros. 30 years later, the team at Illumination decided to dust off the property in animated form, with Chris Pratt and Charlie Day voicing the titular plumbers.
Read more: A Super Mario Bros. Sequel Movie is set for April 2026 (BANG Showbiz)
The Super Mario Bros. Movie is a fun adventure with some sparky voice performances and enough video game nods to keep all of the fans happy. In particular, a Mario Kart sequence paying homage to the infamous Rainbow Road track drew cheers in screenings across the world. It's no surprise that audiences flocked to the cinema.
4. Frozen ($1.29bn/£1bn)
It might have been subsequently overtaken financially by its sequel, but there's no denying the cultural impact of Frozen. Its colourful characters — most notably the snowman Olaf — embedded themselves into the hearts of children, while its songs became the scourge of parents all over the world. It also gave us that iconic Adele Dazeem moment at the Oscars.
Read more: Disney's Frozen originally had a totally different ending (Yahoo Entertainment)
With its twist on the classic Disney Princess format, Frozen became the studio's biggest critical and commercial hit since its 90s Renaissance era. As well as its movie sequel, it has spawned a handful of shorts and a glittery stage musical.
5. Incredibles 2 ($1.24bn/£966m)
The Incredibles has always been something of a cult favourite among the Pixar filmography, so releasing a sequel at the height of the superhero boom was a very smart move indeed. Its plot twisted the family dynamic by sending Elastigirl out to become the world's biggest hero, enacting a PR plan to restore the public's trust in those with super-powers.
Read more: Holly Hunter 'Incredibles 2' interview: 'It's an act of heroism to raise children' (Yahoo Entertainment)
Incredibles 2 didn't match up to its original in terms of quality but it certainly did in terms of box office cash. Given that it arrived in cinemas within months of one of the biggest superhero movies of all time — Avengers: Infinity War — it's a triumph of timing more than anything else.
6. Minions ($1.16bn/£901m)
In between the second and third Despicable Me movies, Illumination finally cashed in fully on the cultural impact of the adorable yellow Minions by giving them a spin-off film of their own. Minions explored the origin story of the devoted slapstick sidekicks, as well as the villainous boss they worked for before bumping into the young Gru.
Read more: More ‘Minions’ are coming (CNN)
Audiences flocked to see the Minions in their millions, delivering the biggest box office hit in the entire Despicable Me franchise to date. Though with Despicable Me 4 in cinemas now and quickly racking up the cash, it might soon find itself defeated.
7. Toy Story 4 ($1.07bn/£834m)
There was some justifiable scepticism when Toy Story 4 was first announced. The conclusion of Toy Story 3 was so emotionally satisfying for fans who had grown up with the franchise that many wondered if another film could ever match up to it. Thankfully, Toy Story 4's road trip tale managed to avoid ruining the characters and their stories.
Read more: Pixar boss promises that Toy Story 5 will be "surprising" (Good Housekeeping)
Pixar's bravery in returning to the well was definitely worth it once the cash started rolling in. It's little surprise, in that respect, to see that Toy Story 5 is now on the way. Should they have quit while they were ahead, or can they pull it off again?
8. Toy Story 3 ($1.07bn/£829m)
It's very rare that a third movie in a franchise is widely considered the best but Toy Story isn't like any other franchise. Yes, Toy Story 3 is an animated adventure built on talking toys but it's also a poignant tale of growing up and leaving childhood behind. It also features a scene in which a group of animated toys accept their imminent fiery death. Heart-breaking.
Read more: Brothers spend eight years recreating 'Toy Story 3' using real toys (Yahoo Entertainment)
Toy Story 3 soared at the box office off the back of very positive buzz and the combined tears of millions of teenagers experiencing what they thought was the end of an animated franchise that had defined their childhood. Every subsequent rewatch is a new exercise session for the tear ducts.
9. Despicable Me 3 ($1.03bn/£804m)
After the Minions spin-off flew to new heights at the box office, Despicable Me 3 brought the series back to its roots. This time, it was a family reunion as Gru connected with his long-lost brother Dru — and his mop of blonde hair. They teamed up to take down an 80s-themed villain.
Read more: Despicable Me Is the First Animated Franchise in History to Cross $5 Billion (Variety)
We've already talked about how audiences can't get enough of Gru and the Minions, so the only real surprise is that the franchise has only delivered two billion-dollar movies to date. There will definitely be more to come.
10. Finding Dory ($1.03bn/£799m)
Pixar's sequels have been a common theme on this list and, when the studio returned to the world of Finding Nemo in 2016, they found yet another hit. Ellen DeGeneres returned to voice the forgetful fish as she enlisted the help of her new friends to reconnect with her parents.
Read more: Every Pixar film ranked from worst to best according to fans (Yahoo Entertainment)
The reviews were very positive, with director Andrew Stanton delivering another winning adventure with a tonne of heart. We've not heard much about the prospect of a third film in this franchise but, given how successful Pixar's sequels have been, only a fool would bet against a return to the ocean at some stage.
11. Zootropolis/Zootopia ($1.03bn/£797m)
Non-musical Disney films tend to fare less well at the box office than their toe-tapping cousins. That wasn't true of Zootropolis — referred to as Zootopia in the USA — which caught fire at the box office. It follows a rabbit cop and a smarmy fox as they trace a conspiracy through a world populated entirely by different animals.
Read more: Zootopia 2 Lands 2025 Theatrical Release, Alien Movie Gets Title (Deadline)
Its smart allegory about racism and prejudice won it plenty of fans and audiences flocked to the cinema to see it. Unsurprisingly, there's a sequel planned for release in 2025. Expect plenty more box office dollars to tumble into the Disney coffers when that arrives.
